Cassandra Brown (#22)

Position: Forward

Height: 189cm

Born: 16 June, 1992 in Vernon, British Columbia, Canada

High School: Clarence Fulton Secondary School, Vernon

Previous Tauihi clubs – Rookie

Played all 23 games for Townsville Fire in the 2023-24 Australian WNBL season averaging 6.8 points per game.

Will link up again with Haliegh Reinoehl, the pair having played together at Mount Gambier Pioneers in 2022 and 2023 in NBL1 South – averaged 19 points per game in 42 appearances for the Pioneers.

Prior to Australia, Brown played in Poland, Greece, Slovakia, Sweden and Luxembourg.

Played on the Canadian National Team as recently as 2022 at both the FIBA EuroCup and the FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Japan.

Played 4 years at the University of Portland making 123 appearances. In her senior year (2014-15) averaged 17.8 points and 6.4 rebounds.

Mikhaela Cann (#3)

Position: Point Guard

Height: 177cm

Born: April 30, 1994

High School: John Paul College, Brisbane

Previous Tauihi clubs – Rookie

Vastly experienced guard Mikhaela Cann played for Logan Thunder in NBL1 2024 North where she averaged 18.2 points, 7.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds. The Thunder’s 2024 team contained Kiwis Jade Kirisome (Whai), Ashley Taia (Queens) and former Tall Fern Chevannah Paalvast.

Since graduating from the Australian Institute of Sport in 2012 Cann has played ten years with the Thunder winning NBL1 championships in 2017 and 2020.

Cann also played four seasons and 85 games in the Australian WNBL, winning a championship with Townsville Fire (playing alongside Micaela Cocks) in 2018. 

McKenzie Forbes (#0)

Position: Guard / Small Forward

Height: 183cm

Born: 23 June, 2000 in  Folsom, California

High School: Folsom High School

Previous Tauihi clubs – Rookie

Selected 28th overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks. 

Forbes played her first professional season in NBL1 South winning a championship with  Waverley Falcons – averaged 13.9 points and 2.6 assists.

Played collegiate basketball at University of California (2018-19), Harvard (2021-23) and USC (2023-24). Totalled 124 NCAA games averaging 11.7ppg.

In 2024 was named Pac-12 Tournament MVP after scoring 26 points against Stanford.

Brother Mason played basketball at Harvard (2019-22). Father Sterling Forbes Jnr played at Texas State and with the Harlem Globetrotters. Grandfather Sterling Forbes Snr was an All-American at Pepperdine, a 1960 draft pick by the Los Angeles Lakers and also played with the Harlem Globetrotters.

Esra McGoldrick (#13)

Position: Forward

Height: 188cm

Born: October 24, 1999

Junior Association: North Canterbury

High School: Rangi Ruru Girls School

Highest Representative Honour: Tall Ferns (debut 2019)

Previous NBL clubs – Canterbury Wildcats (2015 & 2017), North Canterbury Spirit (2018-19), Waikato Wizards (2020), Auckland Dream (2021), Tauranga Whai (2022), Mainland Pouākai (2023- present)

 Tauihi Career prior 2024 season: Appearances 22, Points 248, Rebounds 130

Played 9 games for the Pouākai in 2023 averaging 15.2 points 8.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. Scored a career high 21 points v Southern Hoiho.

Played 14 games for Bendigo Spirit in the 2023-24 Australian WNBL season.

Averaged 8.3 points and 9 rebounds for the Tall Ferns at the 2024 World Cup Pre- Qualifying Tournament in Mexico. Had a double-double of 15 points and 18 rebounds against Mozambique.

Her 18 rebounds tied Kalani Purcell for the highest number of rebounds by a Tall Fern in an international fixture.

Played for the 3×3 Tall Ferns at both the 2023 and 2024 3×3 FIBA Asia Cup in Singapore – the team claimed a silver medal on both occasions.

Played one year at North Carolina State University (NCAA Division I) in 2018-19.

Tessa Morrison (#1)

Position: Guard

Height: 171cm

Born: August 30, 1997

Junior Association: Mid Canterbury

High School: Ashburton College/Christchurch Girls High School

Highest Representative Honour: Junior Tall Ferns

Previous NBL clubs – Previous NBL Clubs – Canterbury Wildcats (2013-21), Pouākai (2022)

Played all 12 games for the Pouākai in the 2022 season – scored a Tauihi best 8 points on two occasions.

Since last playing for Pouākai Morrison has played two seasons with East Perth Eagles in NBL1 West. Played alongside Mary Goulding in the 2024 season when she averaged 8.8 points, 4.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game.

Morrison was a member of both the 2016 and 2017 Canterbury Wildcats WBC Championship winning teams.

Played at NCAA Division II basketball at Southern New Hampshire University 2016-2018.

Graduated from Lincoln University with a degree in psychology. 

Haliegh Reinoehl (#5)

Position: Forward

Height: 188cm

Born: 2 October, 1998 in Westfield, Indiana

High School: Westfield High School

Previous Tauihi clubs – Rookie

Has played the last three NBL1 South seasons with Mount Gambier Pioneers – averaged 14.8 points and 7.3 rebounds in the 2024 season.

Will link up again with Cassandra Brown, the pair having played together at Mount Gambier in 2022 and 2023.

Prior to playing in Australia played in Switzerland and Germany.

Played 120 games, with 107 starts, in a 4-year career at the University of Akron – averaged 14.9 points and 7.9 rebounds in her senior year (2019-20).

Sharne Robati (#11)

Position: Forward

Height: 180cm

Born: January 25, 2001

Junior Association: Counties Manukau

High School: Mt Albert Grammar School

Highest Representative Honour: Tall Ferns, debut 2024 v China

Previous NBL clubs – Auckland Dream (2017-21), Whai (2022), Mainland Pouākai (2023 – present)

Played 10 games for Pouākai in 2023 –  averaged 12.1 points and 5 rebounds per game. Scored a career high 24 points against Southern Hoiho in July 2023.

Prior to the start of the 2024 season sits 6th all-time on Tauihi scoring list with 278 points.

Played all 22 games for Casey Cavaliers in the 2024 NBL1 South season – averaged 10.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. 

Made her Tall Ferns debut in February 2024 against hosts China at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Played for the 3×3 Tall Ferns at both the 2023 and 2024 3×3 FIBA Asia Cups. The team claimed a silver medal on both occasions with Robati also named to the Tournament Team on each occasion.

Played on the New Zealand team that won silver at the FIBA U18 3×3 World Cup in Mongolia in 2019. The other team members were Tayla Dalton, Ashlee Strawbridge and Charlisse Leger-Walker.

In 2018 played on the New Zealand team at the FIBA U17 Women’s World Cup in Belarus where she averaged 9.6 points and 7.0 rebounds.

Named to the Tournament Team at Secondary School Nationals in 2016 when Mt Albert Grammar finished runners-up to St Peter’s School, Cambridge. Was also named to the Tournament Team in 2017 and 2018.

Tara Manumaleuga (#2)

Position: Guard

Height: 178cm

Born: 5 June, 2001

Junior Association: Queensland South

High School: Hillcrest Christian College, Brisbane

Highest Representative Honour: New Zealand U17 National Team (2018)

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

Played both games against Japan for New Zealand Select in July 2024. Was also a member of the Tall Ferns extended squad ahead of the FIBA World Cup Pre-Qualifiers in August 2024.

Manumaleuga begins her professional career with the Pouākai having graduated from Texas Christian University earlier in 2024.

Played a total of 111 NCAA Division I games – scored 380 career points.

Transferred to Texas Christian University ahead of the 2021-22 season after two years at the University of Arizona. In her senior year (2023-24) played 30 of 33 games for TCU

Played for New Zealand at the 2018 FIBA U17 World Championships in Belarus – averaged 12 points

Ashlee Strawbridge (#10)

Position: Small Forward

Height: 180cm

Born: 25 January, 2002 in Ashburton

Junior Association: Canterbury

High School: Rangi Ruru Girls School

Highest Representative Honour: Tall Ferns, debut in 2024 v Montenegro

Previous NBL clubs – Canterbury Wildcats (2021)

Prior to linking up with the Pouākai played the 2024 NBL1 season with West Adelaide Bearcats – averaged 9.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.

Debuted for the Tall Ferns at the 2024 World Cup Pre Qualifying Tournament in Mexico in August.

Following high school played two seasons at the College of Southern Idaho (JUCO). Played 55 games with 32 starts for the Golden Eagles.

Then played the 2022-23 season at New Mexico State University (NCAA Division I) making 27 starts in 35 appearances – averaged 4.6ppg.

Playing alongside Sharne Robati, Tayla Dalton and Charlisse Leger-Walker on the New Zealand silver medal team at the 2019 FIBA 3×3 U18 World Cup team in Mongolia – runners-up to USA.

Lauren Tewhata (#6)

Position: Forward

Height: 183cm

Born: 24 December, 2004

Junior Association: Taranaki

High School: New Plymouth Girls High School/Queen Margaret College, Wellington

Highest Representative Honour – NZ U17 National Team (2022)

Previous NBL clubs – Taranaki Thunder (2020), Capital Swish (2021), Queens (2022)

Played 3 games for the Championship winning Queens team in 2022.

Played for New Zealand Select at the BLIA Cup in Taiwan in July 2024.

Represented New Zealand at the 2022 FIBA U18 Asian Championship in India.

Won 2021 Secondary Schools 3×3 National title with Queen Margaret College playing alongside Lilly Taulelei and Naomi Sopoaga.

Named to the Tournament Team at 2021 U17 Nationals and 2022 U19 Nationals.

Born in Bayonne, France she returned to NZ with her whanau in 2015.

Vitolia Tuilave (#4)

Position: Forward

Height: 

Born: 

Junior Association: Tauranga City

High School: Mount Maunganui College

Highest Representative Honour – NZ U17 National Team (2022)

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie. 

A Development Player with Northern Kāhu in 2022.

Played her freshman year (2023-24) at Wofford College where she played all 30 games and enjoyed 25 starts but has decided to forgo a future college career.

Averaged 3.5 points and 3.8 rebounds for Wofford -had a season high of 17 points and 12 rebounds against North Carolina Central. 

Played for New Zealand at the 2022 FIBA U18 Asian Championship in India.

Also in 2022 she was named to the Tournament Team at the U19 National Championships.

Maddy Timms (#30)

Hana Lacey-Rameka (#32)